Toilet case



y 1964 o. H. BOSCA ETAL TOILET CASE Filed Feb. 23,

INVENTORS 0/9 S/IVO 60$ Mme/o a. 50.5 c4 BY 3pm, Wu 4770 BN6 7 United States Patent 3,141,486 TOILET CASE Orsino H. Bosca and Mario E. Bosca, Springfield, Ohio, assignors to Hugo Bosca Company, Inc., Springfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Feb. 23, 1962, Ser. No. 176,490 6 Claims. (Cl. 150-34) This invention relates to leather and leather-like goods and particularly to toilet kits or cases commonly used in travel to hold small articles and toilet accessories.

In at least one form of kit of the kind described there is provided a single large compartment loosely holding all of the contained articles. The arrangement is productive of a lack of efiiciency in locating and removing desired articles, and offers no means for segregating articles which might be liable to cause injury, be breakable or which might otherwise desirably be held separate.

The object of the invention is to simplify the construction as well as the means and mode of operation of toilet cases, whereby such cases may not only be economically manufactured, but will be more efficient and satisfactory in use, adaptable to a wide variety of applications, and be unlikely to get out of order.

A further object of this invention is to introduce a new feature in cases as described wherein toilet accessories, for example, may be more readily accessible and which in a stored condition are protected and segregated from other articles in the case.

Another object of the invention is to utilize in a toilet case or the like a flap for holding useful articles, the flap having an attached relation to the case and occupying alternative positions stored in the case or outspread exteriorly thereof in a position of display of the held articles.

A further object of the invention is to adapt a flap member as described for compact storage within the case, and for facile withdrawal and replacement thereof.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a toilet case characterized in accordance with the foregoing objects.

A further object of the invention is to provide a toilet case possessing the advantageous structural features, the inherent meritorious characteristics and the mode of operation herein mentioned.

With the above and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or their equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein is shown one but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a toilet case in accordance with the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the case being shown open and the accessories flap withdrawn or extended therefrom;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of the case of FIG. 1, the case being shown closed; and

FIG. 3 is a view in cross-section taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 and showing the case in an open position with the accessories flap in a stored condition therein.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is disclosed as embodied in a toilet kit or case of a kind used to carry small articles and toilet accessories and commonly serving as a supplemental carrier, being itself adapted to be 3,141,486 Patented July 21, 1964 carried in a larger piece of luggage. Made in the main of leather or leather-like materials, the case 10 has a flat comparativley stiff bottom 11 rectangular in shape. Stitched or otherwise secured to the margins of the bottom 11 is the body 12 of the case which, together with bottom 11 forms a container having a single large compartment 13 on the interior thereof extending from end to end and from side to side. Such body is comprised of upstanding end and side walls made alternatively out of a single piece of leather or leather-like material or made of a number of such pieces united at adjoining ends. Opposing side walls of the body 12 terminate at their upper ends in edges 14 and 15 of longitudinal extent, the extremities of such edges merging with edges of the upstanding end walls of the body to define a single continuous opening 16. The periphery of such opening, as defined by the side edges 14 and 15 and merging end edges are formed with continuous teeth which are part of a slide fastener, a slide 17 being movable to join and to separate such teeth in a conventional manner. Thus, upon the side edges 14 and 15 being moved in a relative approaching sense the slide 17 is enabled to move along the track represented by the opposing teeth on such edges and effectively closes the opening 16. Similarly a reverse motion releases the locking engagement of the teeth, enabling the edges 14 and 15 to be separated in a manner enlarging opening 16 and so opening the container. End walls of the body 12 tend to collapse upon themselves to make the opposing edges 14 and 15 in effect continuously parallel over the length of the case in the closed position thereof. In accordance with conventional practice, in the material of the case surrounding opening 16 there may be embedded reinforcement rods which are separated from one another at the ends of the case, the construction and arrangement being one to maintain the case yieldingly in the closed position of FIG. 2 or the open position of FIG. 3, with the body being adjusted by hand from and to its alternate positions.

In the illustrated instance the interior of the case is protected by a waterproof liner 18. Also, and in accordance with the instant invention, there is attached to the container on the interior thereof, as by being fixed between the body 12 and the liner 18, a flap member 19. The flap 19 is generally rectangular in configuration and is made of any convenient and suitable flexible sheet material, for example the same material of which the liner 1% is made. One surface of the flap is adapted for the mounting of toilet accessories thereon, as for example by being overlaid by a layer 21 of another material with such other layer being secured in a manner to define a series of pockets 22. These serve as mounting places for toilet articles, for example a scissors, nail file and brush as indicated. Other pockets or mounting devices may be superimposed on the fiap 19 as for example a holder 23 shown receiving a comb.

The flap 19 is long in relation to the depth of the compartment 13. It is when received or stored in such compartment preliminarily folded upon itself and in order that it may be so held has on its ends parts 24 and 25 of a snap fastener. The location of attachment of the flap 19 to the body 12 is in the upper part of compartment 13 along the upper margins of liner 18 and adjacent to the upper edge 15 of the body side wall. So located, the flap may be withdrawn readily through the opening 16 in the open position of the container, and, upon release of the snap fastener 2425, may be unfurled to lie outspread over the side of the case and downwardly therefrom upon the supporting table. The mounted accessories are in this manner displayed and readily available for selection, use and replacement. When finished with the flap it is refolded upon itself and fastened by pressural engagemeht of the parts 24 and 25. The folded flap then is dropped or placed into compartment 13 where it hangs suspended from the upper side wall of the container in a position approximately parallel thereto. The suspended flap is thus kept out of entanglement with other articles in the case and further maintains the toilet accessories mounted therein in a protected, segregated relation.

At one end of the case a loop 26 is suitably attached to the body 12. It may serve as a handle for carrying purposes and for stabilizing the case for ease of opening and closing movement of slide fastener 17.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A toilet case, including a container having an opening in the top thereof for access thereto, a fiap made of a flexible sheet material attached along a portion of the periphery thereof to said container in the interior thereof near said opening, said flap being adapted to be withdrawn from said container through said opening and unfurled to lie outspread on the exterior of the case while remaining anchored to the case, means on said flap for holding toilet accessories and releasable means for holding said flap in a position folded upon itself.

2. A toilet case including a container having an opening for access thereto, opposing edges of said opening being brought together for closing the container and separated to open the container, a flap attached along a portion of the periphery thereof to said container in the interior thereof near one of said opposing edges to be suspended therefrom, said flap being wholly received within said container in the closed position thereof and adapted to be withdrawn in the open position of the container to project therefrom as a tongue, means on said flap for holding toilet accessories, said flap being made of flexible sheet material folded on itself while in said container and adapted to be unfurled when withdrawn to extend outspread over the side of said container.

3. A toilet case including a container having an opening for access thereto, opposing edges of the opening being brought together for closing the container and separated to open the container, a flap attached along a portion of the periphery thereof to said container in the interior thereof near one of said opposing edges to be suspended therefrom, said flap being wholly received within said container in the closed position thereof and adapted to be withdrawn in the open position of the container to project therefrom as a tongue, and means on said flap for holding toilet accessories, said last named means including a strip overlaid on said flap and secured thereto at spaced points to define intermediate pockets for receiving said accessories.

4. A toilet case including a container having a bottom and upstanding connected side walls, said side walls being flexible and opposing upper edges thereof being adapted to be brought together to effect closing of the container and separated for opening thereof, a flap of generally rectangular configuration attached along one edge thereof to a wall of said container within the container near one of said opposing upper edges, said flap being flexible about its connection to said container whereby to hang in a suspended position within the container and to be adapted for withdrawal to project as a tongue from said container while remaining anchored thereto, and means on said flap for holding toilet accessories, said flap being made of flexible material folded upon itself when suspended in said container and adapted to be unfurled when withdrawn to extend over said one edge of the container and lie outspread over one side thereof.

5. A toilet case, including a container having a bottom and upstanding connected side walls, said side walls being flexible and opposing upper edges thereof being adapted to be brought together to effect closing of the container and separated for opening thereof, a flap of generally rectangular configuration attached along one edge thereof to a wall of said container within the container near one of said opposing upper edges, said flap being flexible about its connection to said container whereby to hang in a suspended position within the container and to be adapted for withdrawal to project as a tongue from said container while remaining anchored thereto, means on said flap for holding toilet accessories, said flap being made of flexible material and adapted to be folded upon itself when suspended in said container and when unfurled outside said container to extend over said one edge of said container and lie outspread over one side thereof and means for releasably holding said flap in a folded condition.

6. A toilet case, including a container having a bottom and connected upstanding side walls defining at their upper ends an opening for access to the container interior, opposing upper ends of said side walls being adapted to be brought together to close said container and separated for opening thereof, and a flap of generally rectangular configuration adapted on one side thereof to hold toilet accessories, said flap being attached along one end thereof to one of the side walls of said container on the interior thereof above said bottom, said flap being flexible for storing in said container when not in use and when unfurled for use to lie outspread over the exterior of the 7 container while remaining anchored to said container, said flap being characterized in that it is long in relation to the depth of said container and being folded on itself preliminary to storing and lying in said container in a suspended position approximately parallel to said one side wall above the bottom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A TOILET CASE, INCLUDING A CONTAINER HAVING AN OPENING IN THE TOP THEREOF FOR ACCESS THERETO, A FLAP MADE OF A FLEXIBLE SHEET MATERIAL ATTACHED ALONG A PORTION OF THE PERIPHERY THEREOF TO SAID CONTAINER IN THE INTERIOR THEREOF NEAR SAID OPENING, SAID FLAP BEING ADAPTED TO BE WITHDRAWN FROM SAID CONTAINER THROUGH SAID OPENING AND UNFURLED TO LIE OUTSPREAD ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE CASE WHILE REMAINING ANCHORED TO THE CASE, MEANS ON SAID FLAP FOR HOLDING TOILET ACCESSORIES AND RELEASABLE MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID FLAP IN A POSITION FOLDED UPON ITSELF. 